Meihle vs Kluge/Windmill for thick paper

Hi, casmit—

I think the vertical is rated for stock no thicker than .015”. I think heavier stock can be gotten through the press, but “whips” on the tail because the cylinder has a relatively small diameter (compared to a small Heidelberg cylinder press, for example). I’ve gotten seven-part forms through a vertical, which were probably .020 or so in thickness, but the sheets of the form are able to slide against each other and not whip as a stiff sheet would. Still, if the paper has the grain in the right direction, and you adjust the cylinder bands carefully, you might be able to do it.

Probably better to use a platen press though.

Brian

The Kluge, with it’s straight in — straight out feed system is good for feeding heavy material. I don’t think the 220lb. would be a problem on the windmill, and I have run stock that heavy on my Little Giant without great difficulty, so the Miehle should do OK as well.

If you get very stiff sheets, they will not feed well on the windmill or miehle, but will do well on the Kluge.

I’m leaning towards the kluge, but people seem to love them or hate them.

Late models, I’ve heard are the best…….
model “N’s -aka grasshopper” / might be corrected on this…..

The big thing I’ve heard is making sure the cylinder the platen turns on isn’t excessively worn.

For 40 years i’ve run windmills, i think they are great presses, you can’t beat the registration, about 10 years ago i picked up a kluge, hated it at first, but there is things you can do on a kluge you can’t do on a windmill or a verticle. With a verticle you either love them or hate them, when i had a verticle we fought daily, never got the hang of it. The kluge has a better inking system than the windmill, the only thing i don’t like about the kluge is its harder to put the chase in the kluge than the windmill. Good Luck Dick G.

…. got all 3 of the presses, the kluge or windmill is your best choice for the heavy stock. I love the verticle… but for a different class of work….and heavy stock isn’t it. IE… You MUST have the paper grain that wraps the cylinder, you should plan on running a bearer (By bearer I mean a strip of 6 or 12 point solid or heavy face rule running around the cylinder) of type high .918 on both the right and left hand margins of the press sheet… you will need to trim this off after the press run and will be printed outside the “work” but on the sheet… meaning an oversized press sheet. Run another rule at the tail across the cylinder to assist in holding the sheet to the cylinder which will help eliminate the WIPE you will otherwise get. If running a Vert. you should always have some Millers Steel Points around for the WIPE at the tail. Don’t get me wrong, the Meihle is a great press, but not for heavy board. If you had no other choices… sure it would do it… but there is a better may…and they are called PLATEN PRESSES, good luck. Carl